Friday Femmes Fatales No 47

"Where are all the female bloggers?" HERE, in my weekly "top ten" - all women bloggers who are new to me. Why "femmes fatales?" Because these are killer posts, selected for great ideas and great writing, general interest and variety.

Those being picky might note that today is Saturday, but instead of writing this last night I was out at a very enjoyable dinner with the Women's History Seminar from the Institute for Historical Research - sorry!

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To begin this week, a powerful, personal piece about domestic violence from Amrita Rajan on Desicritics.

And from the same source, a piece about more casual, but persistent and probably ultimately equally damaging harassment and abuse of women on the streets of India. Sujatha Bagal asks "why?" It strikes me, from travel in India and other parts of Asia and the Middle East, that women have to, in the older western formulation "reclaim the streets". A lot of this is a conscious or unconscious attempt to drive them from public spaces.

But "public space issues" aren't restricted to the developing world. Travelling Punk is spreading the word about a petition against human trafficking during the (Football) World Cup, which is being held in Germany later this year. I've heard horrific reports about brothels being set up in shipping containers around the stadiums ...

Turning more personal, but still eminently political, on Girl, Uninterrupted, a Blog Against Sexism Day post (try a Technorati search if you want a great collection), about all of the ridiculous things that I have done in my life so far as a result of being born female.

On to other issues: On The Bipolar View, spotted elephant tells the story of Luna, an orca who humans failed to protect.

And the more you hear about American politics, the more you realise just how deeply corrupt and twisted the "democracy" is. Betsy Devine has been following the case of James Tobin, phone-jammer, part 1 and part 2.

Okay, time for something more cheerful, a short but sweet political joke from The Bumblebee Blog seems a good way to change the tone.

Then Laurie on Body Impolitic reflects on a radio programme in which she participated on honoring our female friends who have been with us through the years of our lives.

On International Marriage, a post with which I sympathise, being also someone who turns beet-red with exercise. The writer isoff to the gym in Japan and find herself a bit on the conspicuous side....

And finally, on Enter the Laughter, a story about a bad day in being a mother.

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If you missed last week's edition, it is here.

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Please: In the next week if you read, or write, a post by a woman blogger and think "that deserves a wider audience" (particularly someone who doesn't yet get many hits), drop a comment here.